Page 31 of Wish You Were Mine

“You have to rein your temper in, Ash,” she warned. “You can’t lose your shit at people just because you disapprove of their choices.”

“Come on.” I turned the key in the ignition. “You can’t say you don’t want to hit his smug face.”

She huffed. “No, but that’s not the point. I didn’t let my emotions get the better of me. We’re professionals. We have to act like it.”

“I know.” But that didn’t make me like it any better.

I drove back to the station and parked in the garage. Maia and I did a quick inventory and replenished the burn kit. As we were closing up the bus, the fire engine crawled into the garage beside us. It came to a halt and the crew spilled out of the passenger door.

Liam and I walked down the corridor to the staff room together.

“That was bullshit, right?” I said to him, quiet enough that Maia hopefully wouldn’t overhear. “Someone should tell Tia that James is cheating on her.”

“I agree.” He glanced over at me. “But you know we can’t.”

I grumbled. Yes, the nature of our callouts was supposed to be kept confidential, but there were ways around that.

“I’m going to do it,” I said.“Somehow.”

“Be careful, and don’t do anything stupid. You know how this town works. She’s bound to learn the truth soon anyway.”

As we entered the staff room, Zane slung an arm around each of our shoulders.

“So, what do you want me to tell my cousin?” he asked. “Does she have a date with a hot paramedic?”

Damn. I hadn’t avoided that after all. “Sorry, but no.”

He released me and circled around to look at my face. “Why not? She’s a great girl.”

“I just…” Am hopelessly hung up on someone else. “Don’t feel like dating at the moment.”

“But you’re always on the lookout for your forever girl,” he protested. “It’s one of the things I like most about you.”

“Not right now.” I turned away and busied myself making coffee.

“No,” Liam protested, snatching the coffee away from me. “Please, spare us.”

I rolled my eyes. “Coffee snob.”

He didn’t like the way I made coffee. I didn’t get what the big deal was. Coffee was coffee.

“Is everything okay?” Zane asked me, his expression uncharacteristically serious. “It really isn’t like you to turn down a date.”

I didn’t know how to answer. I wasn’t sure if I was all right. Not with Summer Braddock consuming my thoughts.

15

SUMMER

As the birthday song crescendoed, my friends and family all lending their voices, I leaned over and blew out the candles on my cake. Closing my eyes, I made a wish.

I want a birthday kiss from Asher.

Opening my eyes again, I smiled at everyone gathered around me as they cheered. Beside me, Toby began to clap, counting off the years of my age. I narrowed my eyes at him, but he’d timed this well. He’d already blown out his candles, so it was too late for me to retaliate in kind.

“Happy birthday, sweetheart,” Mum said, giving me a squeeze and kissing my cheek. She handed me a knife. “Cut the cake.”

I set the blade to the chocolate frosting and glanced up, my eyes locking with Asher’s. He stared back with an intensity that made me shiver. Toby yanked me into an embrace, his feet thudding against the wood of the deck outside Mom and Dad’s house.

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